http://www.espn.com.au/nrl/story/_/...-bid-chairman-steven-johnson-describes-lunacy
'Lunacy' to move Knights from Newcastle to Ipswich, Western Corridor bid chairman says
The NRL could be on the verge of war with the people of Newcastle after reports emerged that league officials are considering re-locating the Knights to Queensland, but the man who stands to gain most from the projected move has described the idea as "lunacy".
Steven Johnson, the chairman of the Western Corridor bid, an Ipswich-based consortium aiming to earn inclusion in the NRL's expansion plans, insists the Newcastle region has an important role to play in the future of rugby league in Australia.
"I think it would be a slap in the face for the people of the Hunter Valley," Johnson told ESPN of the projected move.
"We want our own team. We're rugby league heartland and so is Newcastle.
"For the good of the game we would hate to see one heartland transferred into another. That would hardly benefit the game.
"What would you do with all of the talent north of Manly up to the [New South Wales-Queensland] border? It's incredulous that it is even being discussed."
Johnson is determined to see another Queensland club introduced, saying he believes that expansion of the NRL competition is 3-4 years overdue, but he told ESPN that it would be to the detriment of the game if the NRL surrendered its presence in Newcastle.
"They're like us: We're coal mining areas, we have beautiful hard-working, blue-collared people as our residents that love rugby league," Johnson said.
"[The projected move is] disrespectful to country rugby league in Newcastle because [the NRL] has only got two 'country clubs'.
"We've regionalised through the Intrust Super Cup and that's a powerful way that we engaged with our community and keep our young people playing the game.
"New South Wales have never embraced that philosophy, and they refuse to look at regionalisation; so to pull the Knights out would be lunacy.
"It's the old story: If you keep ripping the crops out of the field and don't fertilise the soil then eventually nothing will grow."
Veteran rugby league journalist Phil Rothfield broke
the story in The Daily Telegraph and told The Grill Team on Sydney radio that it would rate as one of the worst decisions in the history of rugby league if the NRL went through with it.
"I spent my first 20 years growing up in Newcastle. I know what rugby league means to the town," Rothfield said.
"The NRL would get more money from the next TV deal because they'd get higher ratings from the fourth Queensland side but not at the expense of the Newcastle Knights.
"It would be far bigger than when Souths were kicked out in '99."
The NRL have made no comment on the matter but officials are known to be keen to find new owners for the Knights after taking control following the failed ownership of mining magnate Nathan Tinker.
It has been suggested that the current speculation is a ploy by the NRL to speed up the negotiation process with the powerful Wests Group in Newcastle, which is interested in taking over ownership of the Knights.
Wests are in no hurry to complete the deal, but the NRL would like it done as soon as possible in order to protect their bottom line.
"If that come out of the commercial department of the NRL then that speaks poorly of them and their knowledge of the game and the fact they're not acting in the best interests of the game," Johnson told ESPN.
"It is nonsense and disrespectful of every value in our game. We would certainly hate to be a club borne out of that abuse of another heartland.
"If rugby league's worried about the Newcastle Knights carrying debts forward - that's like Usain Bolt running 100 metres carrying a 50-pound anvil; he won't win a race against anyone.
"They should cut that debt off and call it an investment in the game and let the Knights move forward debt-free.
"If they can't succeed from there then they don't deserve to succeed but they certainly should be given that chance."
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Even Ipswich people are calling it for what it is...
